Background and Family * Unearth your character’s roots. What is the character’s ancestry or cultural background? How does ancestry shape your character? Is the character at odds with family traditions? * Write a series of short paragraphical biographies of each of the character’s closest family members: spouse, children, parents, grandparents, siblings, close friends, etc. * Write a monologue in which your character summarizes his or her life story; be sure to write it in the character’s voice.
Motivations and Goals * What motivates your character? Money? Love? Truth? Power? Justice? * What does your character want more than anything else in the world? What is he or she searching for? * What other characters or events are interfering with your character’s goals? What obstacles are in the way?
Flaws and Fears * What is your character’s single greatest fear? How did your character acquire his or her fears? * What are your character’s flaws and weaknesses? * How does the character’s fears and flaws prevent them from reaching their goals?

Appearance * What does your character look like? Make a list and include the following: hair, eyes, height, weight, build, etc. * Now choose one aspect of the character’s appearance, a detail (bitten nails, frizzy hair, a scar) and elaborate on it. * Write a short scene in which your character is looking in the mirror or write a short scene in which another character first sees your character.
Personality
* How does your character feel on the inside? What kind of person is your character and what does the character’s internal landscape look like? * We don’t always present ourselves to others in a way that accurately reflects how we feel inside. We might be shy or insecure but come across as stuck-up and aloof. How do others perceive your character? * Write a scene with dialogue that reveals your character’s external and internal personalities. Good settings for this dialogue would be an interview, appointment with a therapist, or a conversation with a romantic interest or close friend. Write the scene in third-person omniscient so you can get inside your character’s head as well as the other character’s head; this will allow you explore how your character feels and how he or she is perceived.